Modi, Vajpayee spared but BJP sued by 'angry old man' Ram Jethmalani

New Delhi, Oct 21: Parliamentary Board members of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), except Narendra Modi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee, have been dragged to court by their former colleague Ram Jethmalani.

The senior Supreme Court advocate, who was expelled by BJP for six years, sued the party parliamentary board members demanding Rs 50 lakh as compensation.

Slapping defamation case against the party members, 90-year-old Jethmalani moved Delhi High Court. In his defamation petition Jethmalani has said that he was expelled from the party without giving any reason and the action was arbitrary. Here it can be mentioned that despite his distance with the party, Jethmalani is an open supporter of Modi, BJP's PM candidate for Lok Sabha election which is expected to be held in 2014.

Jethmalani also claimed that many words, which were used in BJP's General Secretary Ananth Kumar's letter to him had maligned the image and prestige of the former in the society.

While sacking Jethmalani from the party, Kumar in the letter had written, "You had made several false allegations against the functionaries of the party. You have raised some irrelevant issues relating to the Police Commissioner of Delhi which do not relate to the party at all."

"The central parliamentary board after considering all your replies, responses and letters was of the unanimous opinion that you have indulged in a breach of discipline. The parliamentary board, therefore, decided to expel you for a period of six years from the primary membership of the Party," Kumar added.